The Price is Right
The Price Is Right is an ultra successful game show based on pricing and values. Its success can possibly be from the fact that contestants are picked right from the studio audience by virtue of the call to "Come on Down!" as well as the numerous minigames played for prizes. Gameplay The gameplay of the show consists of four distinct competition elements, in which nine preliminary contestants (or six, depending on the episode's running time) are eventually narrowed to two finalists who compete in the game's final element, the "Showcase." One Bid At the beginning of the show, four contestants are called from the audience by the announcer to take a spot on the front row behind bidding podiums, which are embedded at the front edge of the stage. This area is known as "Contestants' Row." The host (later the announcer) shouts "Come on down!" after calling each selected contestant's name, a phrase which has become a trademark of the show. The four contestants in Contestants' Row compete in a bidding round to determine which contestant will play the next pricing game. A prize is shown and each contestant gives a single bid for the item. Contestants are instructed to bid in whole pounds since the retail price of the item is rounded to the nearest pound and another contestant's bid cannot be duplicated. The contestant whose bid is closest to the actual retail price of the prize without going over wins that prize and gets to play the subsequent pricing game. If all four contestants overbid, the lowest bid is announced and the bids are erased. The host then instructs the contestants to re-bid below the lowest previous bid. If a contestant bids the actual retail price, a bell rings and the contestant wins a £100 bonus in addition to the prize (cash in all versions except the Warman version, there it was a gift certificate). After each pricing game, another contestant is called to "come on down" to fill the spot of the contestant that won the previous round. The newest contestant bids first in each One Bid round. Pricing games After winning the One Bid, the contestant joins the host onstage for the opportunity to win additional prizes or by playing a pricing game. After the pricing game ends, a new contestant is selected for Contestants' Row and the process is repeated. Three or six games are played per episode. Showcase Showdown Each version featured an elimination round to determine who takes part in the Showcase, the show's finale. While many different rounds were used, this was the most commonly used format. Each playing features the three contestants who played the preceding pricing games spinning "The Big Wheel" in the order of the value of his/her winnings thus far (including the One Bid), with the contestant who has won the most spinning last. The wheel contains 20 sections showing values from 5 to 100 in increments of 5. Contestants are allowed a maximum of two spins. The first contestant spins the wheel and may choose to stop with his/her score or spin again, adding the value of the second spin to their first. The second and third contestants then spin the wheel and try to match or beat the leader's score; if they fail to do so, they must spin again. If their total score is either less than that of the leader or over 100, the contestant is eliminated from the game. The contestant whose score is nearest to 100 without going over advances to the Showcase at the end of the episode. Any spin that fails to make at least one complete revolution is invalid and must be repeated. If the first two contestants go over 100, the last contestant automatically advances to the Showcase; however, s/he is allowed to spin once to see if s/he can hit 100. Any contestant whose score equals 100 (from landing on it on the first spin or a combination of the two spins) receives a bonus and, in the Crother, Warman and Pasquale versions, is allowed a bonus spin, in which landing on the 100 again wins an additional prize. If the wheel stops on any other amount or fails to make at least one revolution, the contestant doesn't win. The wheel is positioned on 5 prior to the bonus spin so that it cannot land on a winning prize without making a complete revolution. Two or more contestants who are tied with the leading score compete in a "spin-off." Each contestant is allowed one additional spin and the contestant with the higher score advances to the Showcase. Multiple spin-offs are played until the tie is broken. Those who hit 100 in their spin-off spin still get a bonus and possible bonus spin. If two or more contestants tie with a score of 100, their bonus spins also determine their spin-off score. Only the spin-off score, not any bonus money won, determines which contestant moves on to the Showcase. A tie in a bonus spin spin-off means the ensuing second spin-off will be spun with no bonuses available. Each spin must make one complete revolution in order to qualify. If a player's bonus spin spin-off does not make a complete revolution, the contestant must spin again, and the spin will be scored as in a second round of a spin-off (no bonuses). The Showcase Final This is the finale of the show, where the winners of the episode compete for bigger prizes than those offered during the show. Two formats were used, this will detail the more well known one, used on all but the Crowther version. The day's winner is shown a series of amounts; after randomly selecting one, they are shown a showcase of prizes. Upon seeing them, they then make a bid on the total value of the showcase. If the difference between their bid and the price of the showcase is between £0 and the amount selected, they win. If they go over, or the difference exceeds the amount selected, they don't. Crowther era (The Price is Right) Leslie Crowther hosted the original UK version, having beaten Joe Brown to the role of host after both recorded pilot episodes. The Crowther version is popular with fans of the show for its near-campiness, glamour, and endearing presenting skills of its host, not for its cheaper prizes (which were forced on it by the Independent Broadcasting Authority's prize limits). Its format was nearly identical to that of the show in the United States. For the first series, the show used the Big Wheel for its Showcase Showdown. Getting 100 won £500 and a bonus spin. In the bonus spin, 5 or 15 won £250, while 100 won £1000. The IBA forced Central to abandon this because of the lack of skill involved. In fact, the show had to go off air for a while during its first season on the IBA's instructions (the regulator was also unhappy that prize values had exceeded its limits), so that the format could be adapted to fit into a much more tightly-regulated UK broadcasting environment. After this ruling was made, the show replaced the Big Wheel with a game called "Supermarket", in which each of the three people would select up to four of six presented grocery products within 20 seconds; the one whose total was closest to £20, above or below, advanced to the Showcase Final. Series two saw the Big Wheel return for a spin-off to see who would have the option of bidding or passing on the first showcase; each contestant had to take two spins. If a person scored 100, £400 would be donated to charity on their behalf, and Leslie would ask the person a consumer-related question to win £100 for him/herself. The winner was the contestant who came closer to 100 in either direction. The Crowther version later used a game called "the Showcase Questions", where all six on-stage contestants played a series of estimated-guess questions and the person farthest away from the actual prize was eliminated. This was done until the last two contestants were left, and they then advanced to the Showcase Final. At the end of the episode, the two Showcase Showdown winners, advance to the Showcase Final. The showcase was played largely the same way as on the American version. A "showcase" of prizes is presented and the top winner has the option of placing a bid on the total value of the showcase or passing the showcase to the runner-up, who is then required to bid. A second showcase is then presented and the contestant who had not bid on the first showcase makes his or her bid. Unlike the One Bid, the contestant bidding on the second showcase may bid the same amount as their opponent on the first showcase, since the two contestants are bidding on different prize packages. The contestant who has bid nearer to the price of their own showcase without going over wins the prizes in his or her showcase. Any contestant who overbids is disqualified regardless of their opponent's result. A double overbid results in neither contestant winning a showcase. In the first season, the winner wouldn't win the largest prize in their showcase if their winning guess was not within 10% of the showcase total. By series 2, the winner won the whole thing. Also, the top winner of the show had their total donated in cash to a nominated charity each week. Pricing Games *Any Number *Bargain Bar ("Barker's Bargain Bar/Bargain Game" in the U.S.) *Blank Cheque (Now known as "Check Game" in the U.S.) *Bonus Game *(The) Card Game *Check-Out *Cliffhanger ("Cliff Hangers" in the U.S.) *(The) Clock Game *Danger Price *Dice Game *Escalator ("Walk of Fame" in the U.S.) *Five Price Tags *Give or Keep *Hi Lo (played with small prizes instead of grocery items) *Hole in One (or Two) *Lucky Seven (Played with seven £1 coins for a prize with a three-digit price) *Master Key *Matchmaker (not based on any U.S. game; a pricing game in name only, as it actually involved no prices at all) *Money Game (played for a vehicle with a three-digit price) *Most Expensive (An original game later introduced in the U.S. as "Eazy az 1-2-3"; not the U.S.'s "Most Expensive") *One Away *Partners (Loosely based on Double Bullseye) *The Penny Drops ("Penny Ante" in the U.S.) *Permutation (not based on any U.S. game; played much like the 2nd version of the Balance Game) *Pick-A-Pair (played with small prizes instead of grocery items) *Punch-A-Bunch *Race Game *Range Game *Safecracker ("Safe Crackers" in the U.S.) *Secret 'X' *Side by Side (not based on any U.S. game; not related to the U.S.'s Side by Side in any way) *Squeeze Play (players remove two numbers instead of one) *Switcheroo (played for four two-digit prizes and one three-digit prize) *Take Two *Temptation *Ten Chances (played for two two-digit prizes and one three-digit prize) *3 in a Row (not based on any U.S. game) *3 Strikes *Tic-Tac-Toe (a variation on Secret X) *Time-Play (a variation on Clock Game) *Trade Up ("Trader Bob" in the U.S.) Models *Marie-Elise Grepne (1984–1985) *Jacqueline Bucknell (1984–1986) *Julia Roberts (1984–1986) *Denise Kelly (1984–1988) *Sandra Easby (1985) *Cindy Day (1986–1988) *Carol Greenwood (1986–1988) *Gillian de Terville (1986–1988) *Elsa O'Toole (1986) *Judy Bailey (1986–1988) *Laura Calland (1987-1988) *Sarah Wynter (1988) Warman era (The New Price is Right) The second version hosted by Bob Warman is considered to be a precursor to the third version hosted by Bruce Forsyth, as it was a half-hour and used the Showcase range game. Having premiered shortly after Leslie Crowther's version went off the air, it retained many elements from the set and props, but was somewhat "Americanized". The show was hence called "The New Price is Right" and had a red, yellow, and green pound sign. The Warman version also had slightly better and more expensive prizes than the Crowther version due to the program's shorter length, in-show sponsorship, and lighter regulation of satellite television channels. Although it was only in a half-hour format with three pricing games per show it still gave away more valuable prizes each week than the previous version had done (for example, it was possible for a contestant to win two cars, one in a pricing game and one on the wheel, which would have been utterly unthinkable on British TV in the 1980s). The show also had a light border in the opening (mimicking the American version), used U.S. music (including the opening theme), and emulated the colour scheme used on the American version at the time. This was the first version to use the familiar Showcase format; the ranges for which went from £250 to £1000. The Warman era was very short-lived, partly due to Sky TV being relatively new and having very few subscribers at the time; only 30 episodes were produced, airing over a period in 1989. Despite this, its format and version of the Showcase since carried over to many other European versions of the show, including Bruce's Price Is Right. Pricing Games *Bargain Bar *Cliffhanger *Danger Price *Five Price Tags (Played with grocery items, and players are given a free pick at the start) *Hi Lo *Lucky Seven (Played with seven tokens) *Money Game (Played for a car, as in America) *Pick-A-Pair (Played with grocery items) *Race Game *Side by Side (Not based on any American pricing game, including "Side by Side") *Switcheroo *Ten Chances Announcers *Bobby Bragg *Al Sherwin Models *Suzie Marlowe *Tracie Williams *Katrina Maltby *Julie Broster *Peitra Caston Forsyth era (Bruce's Price is Right) When it started in the mid-1990s, Bruce's Price is Right was one of the first shows to fully take advantage of the Independent Television Commission's lifting of the prize limits and the general deregulation of the UK broadcasting environment. For the Showcase Showdown, any contestant who scored 100 won £1,000. There was no bonus spin. The ranges for the Showcase in this version went from £1,000 to £5,000. Cars offered were usually superminis, from makers like Daihatsu and Daewoo, or models like a Ford Ka or Mazda Demio, but small sports cars like a Hyundai Accent or Vauxhall Tigra were offered on occasion. On the Forsyth version, the game Plinko was played to very different rules from the U.S. version; considerably less money could be won, and contestants could risk their cash winnings on one final Plinko chip in hopes of adding a car or other large prize to their winnings (the cash spaces on the board were replaced with alternating "WIN" and "LOSE" tags). Many European versions of the show that debuted after the Forsyth version based their games and sound cues on that show. The main theme, an update of the U.S. theme, and the "come on down" music are from the short-lived 1994 U.S. syndicated version. Bruce would start some of these shows also with his trademark line of "Nice to see you, to see you...NICE!" (where the audience yells the word "nice" at the end). Pricing Games Introduced Series 1 (1995) *Cliffhanger ("Cliff Hangers" in the U.S.; contestants were told that the prices increased as the game progressed) *Clock Game (rules modified after Series 1 so that all prizes ended in either '0' or '5') *Danger Price (contestant could not win the prize that cost the danger price) *Double Price Tags ("Double Prices" in the U.S.) *Hole in One (or Two) (played with four small prizes instead of six grocery products) *Master Key *Money Game *Most Expensive (contestant only won the most expensive prize) *One Right Price (regularly played for two cars, though the contestant could only choose one) *Pathfinder *Pick-A-Pair (played with the prizes themselves instead of with grocery products) *Plinko *Race Game (played with a 30-second timer) *Secret 'X' (except on earliest playings, contestants had three chances to win the two additional Xs) *Swap ("Switch?" in the U.S.; contestant could only win one prize) *Switcheroo Introduced Series 2 (1996) *Check-Out *Lucky Seven (modified so that no numbers appeared in the price more than once) *Make Your Move *Pick-A-Number Introduced Series 3 (1997) *Credit Card (contestant won the three prizes they picked, rules modified later on so that they also kept the remaining money on the card) *Most Expensive (replaced original "Most Expensive" from Series 1; now a renamed version of "Eazy az 1-2-3") *Split Decision (used the game's timed format) *3 Strikes ('one strike in the bag' rule implemented from Series 5 onward) Introduced Series 4 (1998) *Any Number *Bruce's Bargain Bar ("Barker's Bargain Bar" in the U.S., contestant only won one of the prizes) *Hi Lo *Price Tags (known in the U.S. as "Barker's Markers" from 1994–2007 on the daytime version, and as "Make Your Mark" in the 1994 syndicated version and from 2008–2009 on the daytime version) Introduced Series 5 (1999) *Joker *Side by Side Introduced Series 6 (2000) *Clearance Sale *Let 'Em Roll (except on earliest playings, the number of rolls was determined using a grocery product and three price choices) *Push Over (blocks went "to Australia") Introduced Series 7 (2001) *No new games were introduced. Announcer *Peter Dickson (1995–2001) Models *Kimberley Cowell (1995–2001) *Emma Noble (1995–1997) *Emma Steadman (1995–2001) *Brian Tattersall (1995–1997) *Simon Peat (1998–2001) *Lea Kristensen (1998–2001) Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon (The Price is Right) On September 17, 2005, as part of a celebration of the 50th birthday of ITV, Ant & Dec hosted a one-off revival of The Price is Right as part of Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon; they also hosted revivals of several other game shows that were once popular on the ITV network. The original titles was from the Central version, however the Yorkshire Television was used instead. Contestants *Eamonn Holmes (Sky News presenter) *Vernon Kay (TV presenter) *Patsy Kensit (Actress) *William Roache (Coronation Street actor) *Carol Vorderman (TV presenter) *Ruby Wax (TV presenter, comedienne) The winner of the show was Carol Vorderman, who as a result advanced to the quarter-final of the show. The five remaining contestants returned in the next week's show, Take Your Pick, to battle for the second spot in the quarter-final round. Announcers *Peter Dickson (2005) Pasquale era (The Price is Right) Talkback Thames debuted a revival on ITV on 8 May 2006, this time with former "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" winner Joe Pasquale as host. It followed the same gameplay format as Bob Warman and Bruce Forsyth's versions, with Showcase ranges going from £500 to £3000, and the Showcase Showdown adapted the rules from the Warman version, with a car at stake; later on, the £1000 bonus was reinstated. It had a very "panto" feel to it, and it relies on nostalgia of the Crowther version, which was known for its cheap prizes because of the regulations of the time. Joe's tour manager, Ray Tizzard, made appearances as his "twin" in various pricing games. The show expanded to an hour from 3 July 2006. This involved three games being played, a Showcase Showdown, three more games, another Showcase Showdown, and then the winners from both showdowns take part in the 'Pasquale Finale', a spin-off on the wheel to see who will go through to the Showcase. During this format, spinning 100 in one or two spins won £1000; the player then spins for the car. In addition, prior to this, the maximum range in the Showcase increased to £4000, as the budget increased. After the first three games and Showcase Showdown, Contestants' Row was cleared of people, and a new set of four contestants was called down. Pricing Games *Any Number *Cliffhanger ("Cliff Hangers" in the U.S.) *Danger Price *Deck of Cards ("Card Game" in the U.S.; introduced when the show went hour-long) *Easy as 123 *Find the Lady ("Shell Game" in the U.S., played here with playing cards, including a Queen) *Half & Half ("Money Game" in the U.S.) *Hi Lo *Hole in One *Joe's Bargain Bar ("Barker's Bargain Bar" in the U.S.) *Joe's Lucky Bags ("3 Strikes" in the U.S.) *Joe Ker (introduced when the show went hour-long; known as "Joker" in the U.S.) *Lucky 7 ("Lucky Seven" in the U.S.; introduced when the show went hour-long, follows the same rules as Bruce Forsyth's version) *On the Nose *1 Right Price (not the U.S.'s One Right Price; actually more similar to the U.S.'s Double Prices, with three choices, so you could call it "Triple Prices".) *One Wrong Price *Pick-A-Number *Pick-A-Pair (played with only four items) *Plinko *Price Tags ("Five Price Tags" in the U.S.; introduced when the show went hour-long) *Push Over *Safecracker ("Safe Crackers" in the U.S.) *Side by Side *Swap ("Switch?" in the U.S.) *Take 2 *Walk the Line (the grocery portion of Let 'Em Roll with five items; based on the high-low game on Play Your Cards Right with prices of grocery items instead of playing cards; to win, a contestant must correctly run the board with no mistakes) Announcers *Peter Dickson (2006–2007) *Mike Hurley (2006–2007) (occasional cover for Peter Dickson) Models *Natalie Denning (2006–2007) *Amanda Robbins (2006–2007) *Richard Kyte (2006–2007) *Natalie Pike (2006–2007) Cancellation ITV chiefs cancelled The Price is Right at the end of its latest run on January 12, 2007. While The Paul O'Grady Show on Channel 4 regularly attracts over 2.5 million viewers, Pasquale has only managed to pull in 800,000. Vernon Kay's Gameshow Marathon (The Price is Right) After the success of Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon in 2005, ITV brought the show back, this time hosted by Vernon Kay, a contestant in the first series. Vernon Kay's Gameshow Marathon began on 7 April 2007 with The Price is Right. Contestants *Michael Le Vell (Coronation Street actor) *Jamelia (Singer) *Graeme Le Saux (Footballer) *Wendy Richard (Former EastEnders actress) *Ben Shephard (TV presenter) *Andrea Catherwood (The Sunday Edition presenter) The winner of the show was Graeme Le Saux, who as a result advanced to the quarter-final of the show. The five remaining contestants returned in the next week's show, Blockbusters, to battle for the second spot in the quarter-final round. Announcer *Peter Dickson (2007) Alan Carr Special (The Price Is Right) On 30 December 2017, the revival was a one-off pilot that aired as a Christmas special on Channel 4 hosted by Alan Carr and was announced by Tony Hirst. According to a press release by FremantleMedia, Carr said "I'm so excited to be the new host of The Price is Right. It's proper bucket list territory for me as I loved it when I was growing up and now for me to be at the helm of such a legendary show is a dream come true. It just leaves me with one thing to say … COME ON DOWN!". After five pricing games, those five players spun the wheel with the Showdown winner going through to the Showcase Final with the same range finder as Bruce's Price Is Right. Scoring exactly 100 on the wheel only won £100, except for the spin-off in case of a tie. Pricing Games *Cliffhanger ("Cliff Hangers" in the U.S.) *Pay The Rent (for cash prizes of £500, £1,000, £2,000, and £5,000) *Bonkers *Plinko (with two "0" slots, two £500 slots and the other five slots each representing a different prize) *Clock Game (with a bonus prize for winning both of the first two prizes) Announcers *Tony Hirst (2017) Models * Nichola Dixon * Dorretta Maynard * Zoe Nicholas Viewers had praised Carr's hosting ability as they took it to Twitter by demanding it to become a full series. However, it has been declined since then. Music 1984 - Unknown 1989 - Same cues as the American version at the time. Main - by Edd Kalehoff Others - by Score Productions Prize Cues "Bhen" "Eric" "Phaser" 1995 - Same cues as the 1994 American nighttime version by Edd Kalehoff 2006 Main Theme - Unknown "Walk The Line" pricing game cue - "I Walk the Line" by Joaquin Phoenix Category:Consumer Category:Shopping Category:Lifestyle Category:Gambling Category:American Formats Category:Long-Running Category:Revivals Category:ITV Shows Category:Sky Shows Category:1984 premieres Category:1988 endings Category:1989 premieres Category:1989 endings Category:1995 premieres Category:2001 endings Category:2006 premieres Category:2007 endings